Golf club



Nov. 19, wzsv 3,563,349

(3. B. MURPHY ET AL GOLF CLUB Filed June 23, 1925 Patented Nov. 10,1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE B. MURPHY AND JAM'ES T. SWANN, OF TAMPA, FLORIDA.

GOLF CLUB.

Application filed June 23, 1923. Serial No. 647,316.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CLARENCE B. MURPHY and JAMES T. SWANN, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Tampa, in the county of Hillsborough andState of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGolf Clubs; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which this appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in golf clubs and has aspecial application to putters or implements used for putting the ballin the cup on the green.

An object of the invention is to provide an implement which can behandled conveniently to deliver a substantially true pendulum stroke tothe golf ball and the construction of the handle is modified to securethis result by dividing the same and hing-ing an end portion which maybe turned substantially horizontally for supporting the club in one handwhile the shaft is grasped in the other hand and oscillated in the actof striking the ball.

It will be obvious that various constructions and various hinge jointsmay be used I to accomplish this general purpose and we do not wish tobe restricted to the forms of the device shown in the drawings, whichare merely by way of illustration and suggest certain desirablemechanical embodiments.

In the drawings, in which like parts are denoted by like symbolsthroughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of an improved golf club constructed according tothe present invention Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of the handle showing a modified formof the invention;

Fig. l is a section taken through the hinged joint shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side view showing a further modification; and

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing a still further modified form.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 5 designates generally theshaft of a golf club and 6 represents the blade or club head. In theinstance shown, the device is illustrated as a putter, but it will beobvious that the invention is applicable to other types of clubs. Theleather grip, which is spirally wound on the upper portion of the handleis indicated at 7 and according to the invention an upper portion of theshaft or an extension part 8 is shown as hinged to the upper straightpart of the shaft 5.

As shown in Fig. 2, the shaft 5 is provided at its upper end with atenon 9 disposed at one side of the center and with a cut awayportion atthe opposite side of the center to receive the companion tenon 10projecting in oii'set relation from the extension handle 8. The twotenons are pivoted together by a pin 11 passing centrally and laterallythrough the same. The pin is of such a nature as to form a frictionjoint between shaft and handle in order that the parts will remain inthe adjusted position tion without permitting any vertical or horizontalvariation. The handle 8 is permitted to turn in the left hand, or theleft hand may turn with the handle when the club is oscillated by forceapplied through the right hand. The blow is thus delivered substantiallyby the right hand alone and the handle 8, forming a fulcrum, the blade 6is required to describe an arc or a circle. The stroke is thus a truependulum stroke and the desirability of this particular stroke in golfis emphasized by the best of professionals. The handle 8 may be moved tothe position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 so that handle and shaftextend in alignment. The construction, therefore, does not interferewith placing the club in the golf bag.

It will be obvious that various other forms of constructions for joiningthe handle 8 to the shaft .5 may be employed and in Figs. 3 and f wehave illustrated a slightly different form of the device in which thehandle 12 need not participate in the rotary movement of the shaft shownat 13. A universal joint is provided in this instance between the handleand shaft and the handle 12 may there fore be grasped tightly in thehand to avoid its axial turning while the shaft 13 is oscillated backand forth freely.

The handle 12 in this instance is shown as carrying the universal ball14, and the shaft 3 is provided with the socket piece 15 provided withopenings 16 at the sides to receive the screws or other fastenings 17 bywhich the socket piece is firmly secured to the end of the shaft. Theuniversal ball 14 fits within the socket piece and for this purpose atubular enlargement 18 is made centrally of the socket piece with aremovable plate 19 at the inner portion of the tubular part in order toadmit and permit of the removal of the ball 14:. The plate is secured ina recess 20 upon the inner face of the socket piece, screws or otherappropriate fastening's 21 serving to hold the plate in place. The balll t may be carried by the handle 12 in any suitable manner, for instanceby the threaded or screw shank 22 which is received axially within theadjacent end of the handle 12.

According to this form of the invention, the handle 12 is supported inthe dotted line position shown in Fig. 3 by the left hand of a righthand player and the right hand is used to grasp the shaft 13 and tooscillate the same from the center passing through the universal joint.The socket enlargement .18 moves over the spherical surface of the ball14: and thus allows of great latitude in directing the stroke, but nomovement of any kind is communicated to the handle 12, and consequently,the handle may be held particularly steady.

Referring to Fig. 5, the shaft of the club is indicated at 5 and isshown plain although it may have the usual leather spiral wrapthicknessas the club shaft and a length sufficient to allow the same to begripped by the left hand of a right-handed player. The rubber is such asto admit of bending or flexing to a desired position.

In Fig. 6 the shaft carries a ball 26 so that the club may be graspedbetween the fingers of the left hand, the hand in this case forming asocket for the ball. The ball may be of varying diameters to suit thehands of di fierent players.

It is understood that changes in form, proportion, size, and minordetails may be made within the scope of the claim without departingfrom-the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the presentinvention.

lVhat is claimed is 2- A golf club comprising a shaft, a club head 011the lower end of the shaft extending at an angle laterally therefrom, aseparate handle for the upper end of the shaft, and a pivot connectingsaid handle to the shaft and with its axis lying in a plane at rightangles to the plane of said club head, said pivot maintaining; saidhandle for adjustinent into coaxial relation with the shaft andpermitting said handle to be swung at an angle to the shaft and in theplane of said club head, said handle being adapted to swing from saidshaft in a direction opposite from said club head, whereby said han-

